IZCO is a DJ and producer that you might recognize from his long-running Rinse FM residency or his work co-founding the Brighter Days Family collective. He also spent his early days crafting gritty grime beats for local MCs like Novelist and Capo Lee. He also co-produced PinkPantheress’s massive breakout hit ‘Passion’. Now, he’s fully stepping into his own solo spotlight. He has just unveiled his debut studio album, POWERSCROFT. Released via Gilles Peterson's legendary Brownswood Recordings, this project is a massive personal milestone. It is affectionately named after the street in which he grew up on. The record serves as a beautiful love letter to the pirate radio eras and sound system culture that built his sonic foundation.

Sonically, POWERSCROFT is a highly textured journey through the diverse influences inside the producer's mind. The grooves effortlessly weave together nostalgic threads of jungle, broken beat, UK garage, and heavy dub. It completely captures the sweaty, unifying energy of a proper London dancefloor. Tracks like the lead single "Strike a Pose," featuring the captivating vocals of Camille Munn, provide a perfect taste of the project's soulful warmth. He also taps trusted, frequent collaborators like Reek0 to inject pure, electric freestyle energy into the tracklist. To celebrate the drop, he is currently taking these fresh sounds on a dedicated UK tour. POWERSCROFT is a bold, defining new chapter for an artist that we don’t know much about but has produced one of our favorite records of the year so far. Brilliant stuff, that is available on vinyl.

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Stepping up to his own imprint, Soul Quest Records, Max Sinàl announced the release of his brand new Healing EP. The record is an intimate sonic diary charting his ongoing mental health journey. Naturally, his production chops are sharper than ever. He uses that expertise to craft distinct musical spaces for different emotional chapters. The project opens with "Reflection," a warm, Rhodes-driven deep house groove. It features soaring brass from longtime collaborator KingCrowney. "Maya" is dedicated to his daughter - a garage-inflected bumper balances dancefloor toughness with the grounding warmth of fatherhood.

As the record progresses, the sonic landscape shifts to mirror moments of internal struggle. The producer effortlessly pivots into West London broken beat territory on "Alone." Here, intricate rhythms and mournful vocal samples capture the heavy weight of isolation. For the title track Max Sinàl reunites with vocalist Liv East, following up their 2025 release Intentions. Their chemistry shines through once again blending her rich vocals with his signature soulful house bounce. All of very high standards of productions, very tasty, crunchy at times and available on vinyl.

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The Brazilian underground electronic scene sees one of its gems fade away into the spacetime continuum that is only reserved for great projects. For over a decade, Rio de Janeiro's 40% Foda/Maneirissimo label has been a powerhouse for leftfield house, quirky boogie, and experimental synths. Spearheaded by producer Gabriel Guerra, the imprint has always done things a bit differently. Now, they are officially bowing out with a massive milestone. They just dropped 40% Foda/Maneirissimo 100, a sprawling release featuring both real and imaginary artists from their tight-knit roster. True to their clever, humor-infused aesthetic, this final chapter serves as only the second compilation in their entire history. It acts as a direct, total inversion of their very first release. After all, the exact opposite of 100 is 001.

Any percentage past their original name would simply not make sense for the crew. Closing the curtain on this centennial drop feels like the perfect, poetic endpoint. The label expresses deep gratitude to everyone who walked this weird, wonderful path with them over the years. They cheekily noted that their ultimate goal was successfully reached, even if it was technically completed "almost by half." 40% Foda/Maneirissimo leaves behind an incredibly rich catalog of lo-fi grooves and experimental club tracks. More than showcasing their release, this feature pays homage to their entire catalog. 40% Foda/Maneirissimo 100 is available on CD.

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Parisian beatmaker Arnaud Bernard, better known to the world as Onra, has officially returned with his newest project, After Dark. Arriving via his longtime home at AllCity Records, this completely self-produced album serves as the soundtrack to an imagined late-night film. The French producer of Vietnamese descent has spent the last two decades constantly evolving his sound. He has smoothly transitioned from the sample-heavy, MPC-driven hip-hop of his legendary Chinoiseries series into a true master of polished R&B and modern soul. This latest record picks up right where 2010’s Long Distance and 2018’s Nobody Has To Know left off. He zeroes in heavily on lush, late 80s and early 90s inspirations. Setting the mood perfectly, the lead single "Lap of Luxury" delivers a slick, nostalgic blend of instrumental hip-hop and smooth jazz that instantly draws the listener in.

Structured to unfold beautifully between dusk and dawn, After Dark explores quiet, introspective themes like urban solitude, intimacy, and distance. Bernard intentionally favors deep mood and narrative over any flashy excess. He achieves this by weaving analog synthesizers and tight drum programming with beautifully understated basslines. Selective live saxophone textures also add a stunning layer of depth to the mix. The sequencing itself is highly cinematic. It uses dedicated intro and outro pieces to frame the tracks as one cohesive night-time story. It has been over twenty years since he first emerged from the mid-2000s beat scene. After Dark is a highly immersive, mature body of work prescribed for attentive listening during the twilight hours. Availabe on vinyl & cassette.

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Released last friday, Klin Klop’s Many Faces is a debut that feels alive in every sense. Behind the alias, Inês Meira brings years of classical violin training into a space that’s far less rigid. Evolving from a conceptual essay called "Fragments," this nine-track release acts as a vibrant mirror. It reflects the specific people, phases, and diverse influences that have molded her creative journey. The result is a blend of groovy house, intense rhythms. Expressive musicality is front and center on this one. It is a bold aesthetic signature aiming to guarantee that no one on the dancefloor is left standing still.

Recorded live at the iconic Porto’s Casa da Música and released via MAR Records, Many Faces leans into collaboration and spontaneity. Surrounded by a circle of musicians and vocalists from the city’s scene, Klin Klop builds something that shifts constantly. Grooves stretch, textures evolve, and voices drift in and out. Music that breathes, reacts, and invites you into the moment as it happens. Available on the streaming platforms.

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It is always exciting to watch an underground talent fully come into their own. Italian producer Edoardo Della Bitta, here as EDB, does exactly that on his debut full-length, Koeru. The title hints at surpassing limits, and that idea runs through the whole record. Blending broken beat, deep house, and jazz-leaning electronics, EDB steps into album mode with confidence. Released on Mother Tongue Records, Koeru stretches across moods without losing direction, moving from soft, future-soul moments into sharper, club-ready cuts with ease.

This theme of leveling up is woven deep into the fabric of the music. Instead of sticking to a single lane, the multi-instrumentalist explores a vast, unpredictable sonic landscape. He serves up powerful, instrumental deep house joints like "Phaze Shift" right alongside the broken beat abstractions of "Neurocloud." The entire record is an exercise in striking the perfect balance. He effortlessly juggles sophistication with rawness, blending smooth, organic textures with angular electronic tones.

Collaboration also plays a massive role in shaping the immersive world of Koeru. EDB brings in a heavy-hitting roster of global talent to elevate his grooves. Detroit vocalist Monica Blaire injects pure dancefloor energy into the bumping track "Automatic." On the flip side, UK soulstress Summer Pearl helps craft a gorgeous, futuristic ballad on "True Love." We even get a fresh, updated 2026 take on his classic cut "This Can’t Be Life," featuring Chicago’s own Swaylo. For a heavy dose of cosmic uplift, Nathan Haines steps in on "Voices From Down Under," providing a brilliant sonic highlight. Koeru invites you to step directly into a creative mind, let go of expectations, and just get lost in the rhythm. Available on vinyl.

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There’s a hazy, twilight beauty running through Alek Lee’s Blue Bird, a record that feels like a deeper inward turn. After the warm reception to Cold Feet [Isle of Jura, 2025], the Athens-based producer returns to Isle of Jura with a sound that still carries his loose, genre-blurring touch, now feeling more reflective. Weaving Balearic moods, dub textures, and leftfield groove into something personal, Alek Lee keeps that language intact while pushing further into emotional terrain. The title track, with Keren Ilan’s haunting vocal, sets the tone early. Tender, bruised, but never heavy.

What makes Blue Bird land is how naturally it moves between listening record and dancefloor detour. “Treasures” has that dusty cinematic pull, while “The Beach Road” drifts with a road-trip ease that feels almost visual. Then the album subtly pivot: “First Rain” brings a house pulse, “Thanks to Sade” leans into sophisticated late-night seduction, and “Remember the Good” folds in a dubwise sway. Even at its most eclectic, the record stays coherent, held together by guitar motifs, atmosphere, and Alek Lee’s instinct for space. It’s introspective music, sure, but it never disappears into itself. It keeps moving. Available on vinyl.

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Drifting into deeper waters, Hollie Cook’s Shy Girl [Mr. Bongo, 2025] is reimagined through a classic yet freshly tactile lens. A key voice in modern lovers rock, Hollie has long balanced sweetness with subtle edge, tracing a lineage that nods to her roots while staying unmistakably current. Shy Girl marked her return to Mr. Bongo 15 years after her debut, and Shy Girl In Dub! feels like a full-circle moment. With producer Ben McKone, known for his work with General Roots, at the controls, the album strips things back and lets the low end breathe, turning familiar melodies into something more spacious and immersive.

Built on an analogue desk and shaped through live takes, Shy Girl In Dub! embraces the unpredictability that defines great dub records. Echoes stretch, delays ripple, and fragments of Hollie’s voice appear like ghosts in the mix. Tracks like “Shy Dub” and “Rockaway Dub” lean into that sound system heritage, where drums and bass take the lead and everything else floats around them. More than rewriting the originals this dub reinterpretation reveals their hidden layers. The result feels timeless but alive. Music that could echo through a vintage blues party or a modern system with equal ease. Available on Bandcamp, for the heads. Yes, yes.

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There’s a sense of celebration running through Ben Hauke‘s brand new 10 Year Dance EP, but it’s not nostalgic in the obvious way. Instead, it feels like a snapshot of motion, ten years of refining a sound that sits comfortably between UK club energy and left-leaning techy house. Hauke has long been part of that London-adjacent ecosystem where broken rhythms, bass pressure, and playful sampling coexist, with releases on labels like Church and his own WOOP Records helping shape a distinct lane. This latest drop leans into that history without getting stuck in it.

Built from ideas tested in clubs and radio sets, 10 Year Dance EP carries a directness that makes sense on loud systems. The grooves hit quickly, but there’s detail tucked inside. Off-kilter drums, cheeky edits, and a looseness that keeps things human. Mostly just movement and intent. Ben Hauke keeps it functional, but never flat, music that lives in the mix, yet leaves its own imprint. Available on Bandcamp.

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Floating between introspection and movement, Holo’s new record Astro feels like a quiet statement from an artist who’s been steadily refining his voice. Now based in Berlin but originally from Melbourne, Holo (aka Hugo Horwood) has built a following through releases on Lost Palms and support from tastemaker platforms like Houseum, where his early work found a global audience. On Last Year at Marienbad, Oath’s sublabel known for its dreamy, detail-rich catalog, he leans further into that identity, crafting tracks that linger. His sound sits in deep house, yet pulls gently from elsewhere: hints of dub, acid, fragments of pop sensibility, touches of 90s nostalgia.

Across Astro, that blend unfolds with patience. The title track drifts on light percussion and soft keys, with a distant sax adding warmth without taking over. “Spirits” lifts the tempo slightly, layering textures into something more expansive, while “Sympatika” and “Cycles” bring things inward again, focusing on space and subtle emotional shifts. It’s a record that rewards attention but never demands it. Immersive but never heavy. Available on vinyl.

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Brussels-based producer Toolate Groove has built a solid reputation for his jazz-infused approach to dance music. (Shout out to his releases on Cosmic Breeze Records still making everyone vibe). Classically trained on the piano, he masterfully blends 90s underground nostalgia with deep, evolving rhythms. His latest offering arrives via Mate Records. The Spanish imprint, run by Rafa Santos, preserves with brilliance a blueprint of pure deep house, refining the core soul of the genre. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the release of Líbrame, a super tasteful, five-track masterclass. The record highlights the Belgian artist's knack for merging live spontaneity with timeless club grooves.

The EP kicks things off with the title track. It is a quietly euphoric cut that sets an effortlessly warm mood from the jump. You can also find a delicious alternative take via the Urbancity Recs’ dub version. Next up is "97 Ride" (Club Mix). This track leans heavily into the producer's love for vintage garage. It bounces along with swinging claps and fun, improvisational Rhodes jamming. The energy turns up a notch on "Destiny Dream Dub." This one brings a smoking female vocal and a noticeably heavier bassline to the floor. Finally, the project closes out with "Fresh From Abidjan." Here, he trades standard house beats for dusty breaks and a surging, hypnotic groove. Frankly, this package is as classy as electronic music gets from front to back. Available on vinyl.

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Stepping away from their sun-drenched Balearic textures, Coyote present their new record. Nyabinghi finds the Nottingham duo diving into deeper, more ritualistic waters. Timm Sure and Richard “Ampo” Hampson have long built a reputation through their Is It Balearic? imprint, shaping slow-burning grooves with a coastal glow. This time, though, the mood shifts. Released via Pinchy & Friends, the record leans into something more spiritual, drawing from African rhythmic traditions and the symbolic weight behind the Nyabinghi name. Meaning “mother of abundance” and the ceremonial pulse that later fed into roots reggae and Rastafarian sound systems.

Across its flowing structure, Nyabinghi unfolds like a continuous journey. Spoken word fragments drift in and out, stitched between percussion-led passages and hazy dub textures. The groove is still there, but it’s subtler, almost hypnotic. Rushing this one, defeats the purpose. It pulls us in slowly, somewhere between meditation and movement. Compared to their earlier work, it feels rawer, more exploratory, yet still grounded. Available on vinyl.

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Floating somewhere between late-night introspection and dancefloor glide, Dreams EP arrives as a natural next step for Tour-Maubourg. Known for threading jazz sensibilities into deep house frameworks, his sound has steadily matured since earlier releases on labels like Pont Neuf Records and Noire & Blanche. Here, that signature palette is again very refined. Soft keys drift over steady grooves, while subtle improvisations give the tracks a lived-in, almost conversational feel. There’s a patience to his production, shaped as much by crate-digging culture as by club intuition.

Released via Noire & Blanche, Dreams EP expands its world through thoughtful collaborations, including contributions from Kareem Ali, Nic Hanson, and Cyan Lu. Each guest adds a new shade without breaking the flow, keeping the record cohesive and dynamic in our sound system. It’s music that breathes, equally suited for headphones or dimly lit rooms. Compared to Floating on Silence EP, there’s a deeper sense of identity here, less about proving and more about settling into a groove. Tour-Maubourg doesn’t rush the moments. He lets them unfold, one warm chord at a time. Available on vinyl.

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The Lisbon underground is very capable of surprises, and the latest comes from producer Ninguem. Following a string of deep, atmospheric releases, he returns with the Right Time EP, a deeply personal project that drops via his own imprint, Arodama Music. The story behind this release is as organic as it gets. A few years before the world locked down, Ninguem reached out to vocalist Nádia (LEIDE) over Instagram after recognizing her from a bar in Bairro Alto. What started as a rustic home recording session—complete with a sock used as a pop filter—eventually evolved into the lush, soulful vocal takes that anchor the record's title track today.

Beyond the rich, dusty originals, the Right Time EP is heavily bolstered by a carefully selected crew of remixers. Ninguem tapped into his local network, bringing in talents like Dupplo, Kelson, and Pedro Khan to completely deconstruct the source material. Kelson, a longtime friend currently riding a wave of momentum, delivers a bold, unexpected rework that gives the simple lyrics an entirely new narrative weight. Meanwhile, Pedro Khan brings his complex, journey-driven energy to the table, and Dupplo rounds out the package with a mature, consistent sonic response. Ninguem ensures this independent release has a rock-solid foundation, setting the stage for Arodama Records to become a platform for underground Portuguese talent. Available in the main music streaming platforms.

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The navigation through O Sótão’s April is easier through the month’s playlist, summarizing a high-karat-gold selection of the artists and projects we’ve showcased. 40 tracks that explore a variety of approaches to music, showcasing young promise’s magic and well-established virtuosity. Eclectic tracklist.

And a bonus.

To keep up on what's going on here, follow our monthly playlists on Spotify. Each month, each track enriching our shelves of music.

Zachary Berns steps forward with canvas / rendezvous, a self-released two-track beauty that captures the raw intersection of NYC’s jazz underground and late-night club energy. Known around the city for his work under the moniker zbeeez and the collective poetic thrust, Berns stepped into European circles last year with his debut on vinyl via the classy Limited White Label. A regular presence in parties like Soul in the Horn, his approach leans toward the live and the spontaneous. This record follows that instinct. It feels unpolished in the best way. Alive.

On canvas / rendezvous, that energy translates into a loose form of jazz house. Live drums push and pull against warm grooves, while Jesse Klirsfeld’s trumpet cuts through with expressive phrasing that keeps things fluid. There’s a sense of musicians listening to each other, reacting in the moment rather than locking into rigid structure. The result sits somewhere between jam session and dancefloor tool. Not overthought. A snapshot of a scene and a mindset, where jazz cats meet club heads and let things unfold naturally. Available on Bandcamp.

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14KT leans inward on Morning Meds, a deeply personal release on Karat Gold Music that trades beat tape energy for something more reflective. Known for his roots in Detroit’s hip-hop scene and affiliations with crews like Athletic Mic League, 14KT has always balanced precision with soul. But here, the focus shifts. Built during early morning meditation sessions, the record unfolds slowly, guided by breath, stillness and intention rather than rhythm alone.

Across Morning Meds, jazz becomes a tool for healing as much as expression. Soft chords drift in and out, tones shaped by an interest in Solfeggio frequencies and their emotional pull. There’s no rush. Each piece feels like a quiet conversation, grounded in presence and subtle movement. Released via his own Karat Gold Records, the album sits comfortably outside the usual frameworks, offering a space to reset rather than react. It’s about alignment and a gentle reminder to pause and listen inward. Available on Bandcamp.

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Nubiyan Twist return in full force with Chasing Shadows on Strut Records, reaffirming their place as one of the UK’s most fluid and globally minded collectives. Led by Tom Excell, the London-based group flows within jazz, afrobeat, hip-hop and electronic textures into something that feels both communal and alive. Their journey, from early underground shows to internationally celebrated releases like Find Your Flames (Strut Records, 2024) has always centred on collaboration. This new chapter leans even further into that shared energy. It’s a record shaped by people in rooms together, not presets or shortcuts.

Across Chasing Shadows, that human pulse comes through in every layer. New vocalist Eniola brings a fresh warmth, while a wide cast of collaborators—ranging from Fatoumata Diawara to Joe Armon-Jones and Patrice Rushen—add depth and infinite possibilities. The grooves move easily between afrobeat bounce, dub explorations and hip-hop-rooted rhythms, always grounded in supremely tight musicianship. Released via Strut Records, a label known for championing forward-thinking global sounds, the album feels expansive but never distant. It celebrates connection, rhythm and imperfection, the kind of details that can’t be programmed, only lived. Available on vinyl.

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Guohan sketches a moving diary on Transient Response, landing via Darker Than Wax with a sound that feels shaped by distance and transition. Born in China and now based in London, his music often carries that in-between energy—restless but reflective, rooted yet constantly shifting. The label itself has long championed artists who blur lines between beats, jazz and club forms, and this release fits right in. It’s subtle, groove-led storytelling, where textures speak as much as melodies.

On Transient Response, each track unfolds like a passing scene. “Don’t Forget Your Hiss” rides a dusty funk loop, its repeated vocal phrase slowly revealing deeper meaning as it evolves. “First Light” drifts in next, MPC drums tapping out a hazy rhythm that feels like a quiet studio afternoon stretching into evening. Flip it over and “Seeds of Tomorrow” leans into broken beat territory, layering percussion with warm analog tones that keep things gently in motion. A remix from Knopha closes things out, adding another perspective without breaking the mood. It’s a low-key but thoughtful release, built for slow listening and steady movement. Available on vinyl.

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London-based producer Ollie Malin is back in the driver's seat. Under his widely respected alias Romaal Kultan, he has built a serious reputation of drifting between genres with ease. Over the years, his eclectic fusions of broken beat, hip-hop, and house have graced labels like YAM, Tiff's Joints, and his own imprint, Personal Discs. Now, he steps up to the plate for None More Records to deliver None More Rollers Vol. 3. While his past catalog fiercely resists easy categorization, this three-track EP strips things back to a highly focused, clear-cut palette. Driven strictly by atmospheric breakbeat pressure, it is music built for finding serious momentum inside repetition. The track titles are deliberately utilitarian, reflecting a recent period of rapid, unfiltered creative expansion. Malin has described a recent artistic renaissance pulling him between softness and severity, and this project beautifully captures the harder edge of that spectrum.

Beneath the heavy drums, there is a quiet geographical hum that grounds the record. Having been raised across multiple countries, Malin’s sense of belonging remains slightly unresolved. London acts as his primary fixation, yet it still feels like a "near-home" that keeps him at arm's length. That lingering feeling of existing just outside of fixed scenes perfectly mirrors the EP's contemplative emotional tone. There is also a distinct, heavy weight attached to this release. None More Rollers Vol. 3 will likely stand as the very last chapter under the Romaal Kultan moniker. As Malin navigates a period of personal reinvention, his future sounds will probably emerge under fresh aliases. If this is truly the end of the road for the project, it serves as a remarkably precise and fitting punctuation mark. Available on vinyl.

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